1. Identifying Key Themes and Motifs: Analyze the work to identify the main themes and recurring motifs that drive the narrative. This could be love, loss, power, social injustice, or any other significant topic explored in the text.
2. Gathering Specific Evidence: Find specific passages, lines, or scenes within the work that directly relate to your argument. This could be dialogue, descriptions, actions of characters, or symbols used by the author.
3. Analyzing and Interpreting the Evidence: Explain how the textual evidence you've gathered supports your claim. This involves:
* Contextualizing: Explain how the passage fits within the overall context of the work, including its historical, social, or cultural background.
* Explicating: Explain the literary techniques used in the passage, such as figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.
* Drawing Connections: Connect the evidence to your main argument and demonstrate how it strengthens your claim.
Example:
Argument: In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," the character of Hamlet's indecisiveness is a key factor in his downfall.
Evidence: The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy (Act 3, Scene 1), where Hamlet contemplates suicide, illustrates his inability to act decisively. He grapples with the philosophical questions of life and death, but ultimately chooses to remain alive, paralyzed by his fear of the unknown.
Analysis: This soliloquy highlights Hamlet's indecisiveness, as he spends a significant amount of time analyzing the pros and cons of suicide without taking action. His fear of the afterlife, "the undiscover'd country, from whose bourn/No traveller returns," underscores his paralysis. This inaction ultimately leads to his downfall, as he delays in confronting Claudius and ultimately dies.
Other Effective Strategies:
* Literary Criticism: Use reputable sources like literary essays, scholarly articles, and critical analyses to support your argument.
* Historical and Biographical Context: Understanding the historical and biographical context surrounding the author and the work can provide valuable insights and support your interpretation.
* Comparison and Contrast: Compare the work to other literary works or historical events to provide a broader perspective and enhance your analysis.
Remember, a strong argument in literary analysis relies on thorough reading, careful analysis, and clear articulation of your ideas using textual evidence.